Circulation and exhausting apparatus for vulcanizing.



(2.1. RANDALL; I

CIRCULATOI AND EXHAUSTING APPARATUS FR VULCANIZING.

AIPLIc/IIIoI-I FILED FEB. 5, IQIG.

M Paiemed Dec. 25, 1916.

fram;

`UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

HESTER J'. RANDAIJL, OF NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT, .ASSIGNOR TO THE GOODYEAR'S METALLIC RUBBER SHOE OO., A OORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

` cmcunn'rrorr AND EXHAUSTING APrARATUs Fon VULcANIzING.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHESTER J. RANDALL,

a citizenvof the United States, residing at Naugatuck, county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new andusefullmprovements in Circulation and Ex'hausting Apparatus for Vulcanizing, of which the following is a full, clear,VY and exact description.

This invention relates to apparatus used in controllingI the internal and external pressure exerted upon articles embodying rubber, "rubber-like, or similar materials, during orprior to the process of vulcanization. Rubber articles Vsuch as boots or shoes, designed to be subjected to a controllable differential of pressure treatment, are usually built Vupon hollow, perforated trees or forms. The car carrying these forms with the. ar-

ticles to b'e vulcanized thereon, is run 1nto a `vulcanizer,A in which the utside of the articles is subjected to controllable high pressure. The hollow frame of the car,

. which communicateswith the hollow forms,

are desirablqnamely, increased compactingy 4o and densifying 'of the articles, yet the process isvexpensive, due to such leakage resulting in an appreciable loss ofy heat units and even s waste of the medium itself. Furthermore this leakage is oftentimes so great that suitable low pressure for the purpose, cannot be maintained in the forms.

My present invention obviates the above disadvantages by passing said leakage quickly back into the vulcanizer under. such 5o conditions that the proper degrees of di'lerential pressure is maintained and also a cir-- culation of the medium in the vulcanizer produced. As a result more uniform density and a more uniformi degree of vulcanization throughout all parts of the rubber aptlicles, will be produced, than hitherto poss1 e.

Theinvention can be readily understoodv from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a sectional view with parts in elevation -showing apparatus embodying` my improvements.

In one embodiment of my invention2 I employ a car 10 having aframe 11 Whlchv is formed of communicating tubing, there being upstanding branch `lpipes 12 of this tubing to support a plurality of perforated hollow forms 13,k of the usual and Wellknown type, with the articles, in the present instance boots 14, built thereon. The car is mounted upon'wheels 15 which facilitate Specification of Iietters Patent. Patented DBC. 26, 1.916. Appucation med February 5, 1916. seriaiNo. vases.

it being run upon a track 16, into a vulcan- Q izer 17 of the usual andwell-known type.V

Heat and pressure are supplied to the artimedium, such as CO2, which enters the vulcanizer through a perforated inlet pipe 18. A low pressure pipe 19 enters the vulcanizer and is controlled by a valve 20, this pipe having one or more branch pipes 21 each controlled by a valve 22 and adapted to be operatively connected with the frame of a corresponding car inthe vulcanizer.

The parts above described are a proXicles in the vulcanizer through a suitable matly the sam/ezine' usually employe in the diffe ential of pressure process of vulcanization. f

such apparatus with devices for turning the medium, which leaks into the forms and car-frame, back into the vulcanizer and si-l multaneously causing a circulation of the medium in the vulcanizen'as will now be described. y f1 In carrying out' the invention, I connect the exhaust y sure in the orms through the pipe 19, with Y -'a preheater 24, by means of apipe 25j, said preheater being connected with thefbove My improvements consist in equipping, A

pump 23 which creates lowpresmentioned inlet pipe 18.. vUpo1'1',l\.e.pump -1 being started and thev valves ,20/and 22 opened, any medium leaking into the `forms and frame will be withdrawn through the pipe 19, by the pump 23, and urged b y the f latter in the shortest route "and in minimum time back into the vulcanizer through the pipe 25, preheater 2,4 and pipe 18. Thus loss of CO2, and loss of heat units, will be reduced to a minimum, ythereby decreasing the expense of manufacturing under this process.

I'n further carrying out the invention, I

provide a perforated outlet pipe 26 foithe heat and pressure medium in the yvulcamzer, I, this outlet pipe being also connected with the s exhaust'pump 23, as shown, and being controlled by a valve 27 located outside of the vulcanizer. The amount which the valve'27 vis opened, determines the amount of th/e medium withdrawn from the vulcanier and consequently permits of as much of the capacity-of the pump being utilized for the. purpose of exhausting the forms as is nec-` sary to maintain a proper degree of low frames and about the articles being vulcan ized so that. more uniform heat conditions y and consequently greater uniformity in the degreeof vulcanization throughout the articles in'all parts of the vulcanizer, will be secured, than hitherto possible.

The operationof the apparatusin its most preferable form is as follows: The valve 20 is kept closed until it is desired to apply the differential pressure, the apparatus prior to this serving to cause a circulation of the heat and pressure medium throughout the vlilcanizer, the medium entering from ythe preheater through the inlet pipe 18, and being withdrawn through the outlet -pipe 26 and pump 23 and discharged by the latter lnto the preheater 2li-from which it passes into the inlet pipe 18. When it is" desired to apply the diiierential pressure, the valve 27 is closed or partially closed. Then the valve 20 inthe low pressure pipeis opened and the suction from the pump 23 allowed to. act upon the interiorof the forms. By

leaving the valve 27 slightly open, circula-v tion may be continued in the vulcanizer, the

amountof opening determining the degree of differential pressure exerted-.upon the articles during the remainder 'of @the vulcanization process. Y

Although .I' have described one "specific embodiment of the inventiom'I do not limit myself'to the specificapparatus, or sequence of operation described, since a. wide range of modifications maybe employed within the' scope of the' appended claims, in practising the invention. Having thus described my invention, what' I claim as new'and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. Anv apparatusV of` the class described,

comprising a vulcanizer, a hollow vform` therein, means vfor exhausting the form, and lmeans for directing the exhaust from the form into the '.vulcamzer.

2. An apparatus of the class described,

comprising a vulcanizer, means forv admitting a fluid medium intothe vulcanizer, a

hollow form in the vulcanizer,\ means yfor exhausting the form and withdrawing some of said medium from the vulcanizer, and means for directing the exhaust from the form and said withdrawn mediumrinto the vulcani'zer. ,"1 /-'3. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a vulcanizer,5 means foradmitting a fluid medium into the vulcanizer, a

hollow frame in the vulcanizer, hollow forms i' detachably mounted on and communicating `with the frame, means fior exhausting the f u forms and the frame, and means for direct. -8'0 l ing the exhaust from the forms and frame '1' together with any of t-he fiuid medium which V `comprising a vulcanizer, means for admitting a fluid medium intofa vulcaniz'er, a hollow frame in the vulcaniz'er, hollow forms may leak into the forms alxidframe back into mounted on and communicating with the frame, an exhaust device, means establishing intake communication to the exhaust device from the frame and from the interior of the vulcanizer, and means establishing lreturn communication from the exhaust device to the interior of the vulca-nizer. l

5. An apparatusof the` class described,

comprising a vulcanizer, means for admitting a fluid medium into 'the vulcanizer, a hollow fra-me in the vulcanizer, hollow 'forms mounted on vand communicating with the frame, an exhaust device, means establishing intake communication to the exhaust device from the frame, means establishing intake communication to the exhaust device from the interior 'ofthe vulcanizer, a valve for controlling the passage of the medium from the vulcanizer through thelast named means, and means establishing return communication 'from' theexhaust device to the interior of the vulcanizer.

6. An apparatus of fthe class described, comprising a vuleanizer, means for admitting a Huid medium under pressure thereinto, a hollow form therein, and means for exhausting the form and simultaneously causing ya circulation of the pressure medium .in the vulcanizer.

7. An apparatus ofthe clasev described,A l

hollow frame in the vulcanizer, hollow forms mounted cn'and communicating with the frame, means for exhaustin the forms and the frame;l a preheater, an means for directing the exhaust from the forms and frame together with any ofthe fluid medium which may leak thereinto through the preheater and into the vulcanizer.

t I 9. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a vulcanizer, a .hollow frame in the vulcanizer, hollow forms mounted on and communicating with the frame, an ex- .I haust device, means establishing intake comt@ munication to the exhaust device from the frame and from the interior of' the vulcanizer, a preheater, means establishing outlet communication from the exhaust device to the preheater, and means establishing communication between the preheater and interior of the vulcanizer.

Signed at Naugatuck county of New Haven State of .Connecticut this 31st day of' January 1916.

, CHESTER J. RANDALL. 

